Heidi has been with us since the beginning of March, having spent the past seven years working at Guy's and St Thomas' hospitals in central London. But, you could be forgiven for thinking that she looks a bit familiar. "Before Guy's and St Thomas' I worked at Epsom, so I'm not entirely new to the organisation, and I came back because I live locally. I was attracted by the chance to give something back to my community", said Heidi.
Heidi's responsibilities are numerous. She oversees the smooth running of the gynaecological ward at St Helier, as well as the coloscopy unit at Leatherhead Hospital. She said: "When I come in for my shift, the first thing I do is speak to the duty sister and ward clerk to catch up on any issues I may not be aware of. I also check in with the outpatients' team to make sure their clinics are ready.
"As a matron with responsibility for the day-to-day running of departments, my role can involve any number of other tasks. "For example, I supervise staff, ensure standards of cleanliness are maintained and deal with enquiries or complaints, as well as representing my team at meetings.
"Overall, I try to support my teams in all aspects of their daily work, by being approachable and available.
"Members of the public genuinely seem to respect the position of 'matron', which is a real privilege. However, with that respect comes high expectations, so it can be daunting at times. Managing those expectations - and your own priorities - becomes a skill in itself.
"One thing that's helped me immeasurably is that the people here have been fab - everyone's been so welcoming and supportive." Heidi added: "Being a matron is something I aspired to ever since I started nursing. I enjoyed being on the wards, but as a matron I can directly influence patient care, support the development of my colleagues and provide them with a voice within our hospitals."
As the mother to a ninemonth old boy, Ryan, Heidi has her hands full outside of work too. On the rare occasion she has some spare time she likes swimming, reading and socialising with friends.
